Inge was in a slump, and O’Brien offered advice. Days later — whether it was O'Brien's advice or not — Inge’s drought was no more. He was back to driving in runs and hitting homers. Caroll Illig said that Inge sent O’Brien a response that thanked him for his note.

Being thanked by players was nothing out of the ordinary for “OB,” as he was known to friends and family — he coached baseball for 24 years. The level of player didn’t matter — if he could offer a tip, he would.

One facet of baseball that O’Brien stressed was the use of wood bats. After all, Major League Baseball players used them.

In 1991, O’Brien started a Fourth of July wood-bat tournament in Flint. He successfully ran it until 1998. He passed away in 2008, but his work wasn’t forgotten. He had a close friend that was interested in carrying his tournament’s legacy.

Illig said she was out shopping when George Warson approached her about reviving her late fiancee's tournament.

Warson officiated baseball and basketball for close to 40 years, and he was an assignor for the Flint City Baseball League from 2005-2007.

Warson will hold a wood bat tournament in O’Brien’s memory July 2-4 at Mt. Morris High School for boys ages 16-18. A total of eight teams will participate. Warson invited groups from Davison, Macomb and St. Clair Counties, Chicago and Milwaukee to compete.

“(O’Brien) held the tournament to get kids familiar with using wood bats,” Warson said over lunch. “He always said ‘It’s how the game should be played.’”

“I think a lot of people have forgotten about Flint’s rich baseball history,” Warson said. “Long before the (Tom) Izzo-pipeline (to MSU basketball), Flint was a baseball town. I wanted to do something to bring it back.

One of my main goals is to furnish a quality tournament for kids in our town. Usually, they have to travel out of town for a good tournament. It gives local kids a chance to see how they stack up against the rest of the Midwest.”

AP PhotoFormer Lapeer West standout Brandon Reed

The Flint-area has produced several MLB talents. Brandon Reed, who was a star pitcher in the early-90s at Lapeer West, was guided by O’Brien. Reed was drafted out of high school in the 45th round of the 1993 entry draft by the Detroit Tigers. He played for Detroit’s Triple-A affiliate, the Toledo Mud Hens, until 1998. A shoulder injury cut his MLB-career short. He now coaches little league in Davison, and runs pitching clinics.

“As soon as I got drafted, he was one of the first people I went to for advice,” Reed said Tuesday. “He was more than a coach to me. He was always there if I needed something.”

O’Brien had relationships with Jim Abbott, Scott Aldred and Jeff Hamilton, Illig said. All were Flint-area standouts that played big-league ball.

O’Brien’s love for baseball wasn’t confined to Flint. He scouted Michigan to find kids for his tournaments, camps and clinics. If the prospect was worthy, O’Brien used his connections to get them noticed.

Courtesy photoMichael O'Brien

If kids weren’t able to arrange transportation to play, O’Brien would take care of it. He even supplied equipment if needed.

O'Brien was among a group that started the Knights of Columbus baseball league in Flint in the late-80s. He started a Babe Ruth League, under the Grossi name, in the early-90s.

“Mike was a good guy,” Illig said. “He would do anything to get kids on the next level.”